The present invention relates to nanomaterial fillers for polymeric articles and, in particular, nanomaterial graphene and silica for rubber articles, including tires and other articles.
In the materials science of elastomers, the influence of manufactured nanomaterial fillers is of utmost significance to the performance of innovative rubber products, e.g., tires having low rolling resistance, high wear resistance, and high traction. Advances in these performance areas are imperative for the development of improved tire efficiency to meet a fuel consumption reduction target of up to 4% while maintaining or improving wear characteristics of the tire.
Recent research has focused mainly on the development of composite tires having carbon black fillers or silica fillers. However, these composite tires lack the required performance for breakthrough advances in fuel cost reduction. While incremental advances can be achieved by improving the dispersion of fillers and by optimizing the manufacturing process, an approximately 4% reduction in vehicle fuel consumption requires a comprehensive redesign of the filler material.
Accordingly, there remains a continued need for improved fillers for composite polymeric articles, including rubber articles. In particular, there remains a continued need for nanomaterial fillers that can be used in advanced tire manufacturing for improvements in the rolling resistance and wear resistance of tires, and for other applications.